EARTHQUAKE (1974)

[Allhallowsday]

EARTHQUAKE (1974)
I've been watching this on Youtube since spotting Lester's thread on MARJOE GORTNER whom I always remember playing the creep in this flick, and his own hair was supposed to be a wig...  and I'm enjoying all of it, GENEVIEVE BUJOLD, CHARLTON HESTON, LORNE GREENE, GEORGE KENNEDY, and uncredited WALTER MATTHAU as the drunk in the bar... it's been a long time since I've seen this film, but I did see it in the theater when it was brand new... now, with it's '70s fashions, familiar faces, typical melodrama, and cool effects, this is a real box of bonbons.    
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrqTuyZROao&NR=1

[Raffine]

Seeing EARTHQUAKE back in '74 was a major event for this tot. We even saw it at a fancy big city theater with the SENSURROUND effects. I think it was Michael Weldon who said "SENSURROUND sounded and felt like a giant vacuum cleaner being turned on". It was guaranteed to annoy the folks in the next theater trying to watch THE GREAT GATSBY or THE GODFATHER, PART II.

That about sums it up, but, heck, it all WAS cool...

[The Burgomaster]

Seeing EARTHQUAKE back in '74 was a major event for this tot. We even saw it at a fancy big city theater with the SENSURROUND effects. I think it was Michael Weldon who said "SENSURROUND sounded and felt like a giant vacuum cleaner being turned on". It was guaranteed to annoy the folks in the next theater trying to watch THE GREAT GATSBY or THE GODFATHER, PART II.

That about sums it up, but, heck, it all WAS cool...

I remember getting all excited about seeing it in sensurround . . . and then being sort of disappointed.  I guess I was expecting the theater to start crumbling around me or something, but all I got was a lot of noise and some vibration.

[claws]

I love this movie because to me it is hilarious for all the wrong reasons.

Like, I'm always stunned how Victoria Principal's gigantic fro made it through the quake without collapsing 

[Jack]

I think I saw this in SENSURROUND too, but wasn't terribly impressed.  The movie is a classic though.  I forgot about Victoria Principal in an afro, I'll have to watch it again sometime just for that! 

[Skull]

Earthquake is a good movie?

[The Burgomaster]

Earthquake is a good movie?

No, but it's a deliciously ridiculous icon of the 1970s.

[Hammock Rider]

I'm a sucker for these over-blown, melodramatic 70's disaster movies. Charlton Heston, George Kennedy & Walter Matthau are icing on the cake and I think that was Cleavon Little as the motorcycle stunt guy. Some day I'm gonna have me a marathon with this, Towering Inferno and one of the Airport movies.

[Texdar]

This always reminds me of the joke that went around during elementary school.  What do you get if you crossed Earthquake with The Towering Inferno?  Shake and bake!

[The Burgomaster]

I'm a sucker for these over-blown, melodramatic 70's disaster movies. Charlton Heston, George Kennedy & Walter Matthau are icing on the cake and I think that was Cleavon Little as the motorcycle stunt guy. Some day I'm gonna have me a marathon with this, Towering Inferno and one of the Airport movies.

Don't forget WHEN TIME RAN OUT, with Paul Newman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Pat Morita, Edward Albert, James Franciscus, Burgess Meredith, William Holden, Jacqueline Bissett . . . the list is endless!

[Raffine]

Some day I'm gonna have me a marathon with this, Towering Inferno and one of the Airport movies.

Might I suggest: AIRPORT 75?

The original AIRPORT was a fairly serious-minded movie where the 75 sequel was a b-movie fun fest!

Poor Karen Black has to fly that big ol' plane all by her itty-bitty self!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8H0Fi6jviQ

And get a load of the cast:

Charlton Heston as Alan Murdock
Karen Black as Nancy Pryor
George Kennedy as Joe Patroni
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. as Captain Stacy
Susan Clark as Mrs. Patroni
Gloria Swanson as Herself
Martha Scott as Sister Beatrice
Helen Reddy as Sister Ruth
Guy Stockwell as Col. Moss
Jerry Stiller as Sam
Roy Thinnes as First Officer Urias
Erik Estrada as Flight Engineer Julio
Dana Andrews as Scott Freeman
Sid Caesar as Barney
Linda Blair as Janice Abbott
Nancy Olson as Mrs. Abbott
Ed Nelson as Maj. Alexander
Beverly Garland as Mrs. Freeman
Myrna Loy as Mrs. Devaney
Linda Harrison as Winnie (credited as Augusta Summerland)
Sharon Gless as Stewardess Sharon
Christopher Norris as Stewardess Bette

Whatever happened to the lovely Christopher Norris..?

[Swamp Thing]

I can't wait for the day they remake this with a 200 million dollar budget! Forget the homeless, give me 200 million dollar disaster movies like 2012!

But yeah I can also see Roland Emmerich getting his greasy paws on the rights and having his 'drama' scenes added in to the plot. Yay!!!

[Allhallowsday]

Earthquake is a good movie?

No, but it's a deliciously ridiculous icon of the 1970s.

I considered carefully where exactly this film belongs;  I decided "good" because it is entertaining; it's never boring.  It isn't badly made, but it may have been badly conceived... 

[The Burgomaster]

One of my favorite parts is the "leaping out of the path of the runaway house" scene around the 5:20 mark . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrqTuyZROao&feature=related

[Raffine]

One of my favorite parts is the "leaping out of the path of the runaway house" scene around the 5:20 mark . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrqTuyZROao&feature=related

Check out the 'blood' at 7:33.